Now that my children are beyond the need for a babysitter, I have been given the opportunity to rethink the word babysitter. While one normally thinks of teenagers 14 to 18 looking after small children for an hour or two as a babysitter, a babysitter also is an individual who looks after a young child for a specified number of hours within one day. A babysitter is most likely not licensed or registered in the state of New York nor have they identified themselves as a legally exempt provider. Some have received education through courses provided at local high schools or the American Red Cross, but many are relatives or neighbors without formalized training.

The word babysitter conjures images of a little old lady, sitting in her rocking chair, with two perfectly behaved children sitting on the floor next to her, eyes fixed on the television or a teenager on the phone while the children sit and play on their own.

In the 21st century, that image is about as far from reality as can be. Anyone who looks after children has found that caring for children now means attentive giving, educating, health maintenance, discipline, security and safety. Schools are expecting children to enter kindergarten knowing so many more skills. No longer is kindergarten coloring, naps and juice and cookies. No longer is a babysitter the only person who watches your children.

As we move toward the future, we demand the need for high quality child care, and the Child Care Council of the Finger Lakes is available to assist every step of the way.

Child care providers can be classified into different types of caregivers:

Family Child Care:

#&149; Provide care for up to six children ages 6 weeks to 12 years in a provider's home

#&149; No more than two children under age 2

#&149; Registered with the NYS Office of Children & Family Services (OCFS)

Group Family Child Care:

#&149; Provide care for up to 12 children in a provider's home with the help of an assistant

#&149; No more than four children under age 2

#&149; Can accept children from 6 weeks to 12 years

#&149; Licensed by the New York State Office of Children & Family Services (OCFS)

Day Care Centers:

#&149; Provide care for more than six children at a time for more than three hours per day

#&149; Not in a personal residence

#&149; Can serve children ages 6 weeks through 12 years

#&149; Licensed by the New York State Office of Children & Family Services (OCFS)

Other forms of legal child care include school-age child care programs, nursery schools, head start and legally exempt care. Legally exempt providers are day care providers who are not licensed or registered through the state of New York, and usually care is provided by a child's relative, friend or neighbor. These providers provide care in their own home or at the home of another person, are legal, but not required to meet state regulations.

All legally exempt day-care providers must make an application to the county annually and be approved as a legally exempt provider. As with licensed registered day-care providers, they must undergo background checks. Legally exempt providers are not mandated to undergo the 30 hours of training that licensed registered providers receive.

The Child Care Council helps assure that your children will receive high quality care, however there are many other factors that help ensure a quality program. Parent's involvement is key to quality child care.

Parents have the right to drop in at any time to observe the program or to see their child. Regulated programs must limit the number of children each adult cares for based on standards set in the regulations.

These standards help to ensure that children are properly supervised and get all the attention they need. Regulated child care providers must have prior experience caring for children and must receive ongoing training in areas such as safety, nutrition and child abuse prevention.

Programs regulated by the State Office of Children and Family Services must be licensed or registered.

With only a few exceptions, every program that cares for more than two children three hours or more per day must have a license or registration certificate. Every licensed child-care program must be inspected at least once before each license renewal. At least 50 percent of all registered providers are inspected annually. Each registered family day-care provider is required to complete at least 15 hours of training during the first six months of registration and at least 30 hours of training during each registration period.

The Child Care Council is available to assist providers with this training.

The Child Care Council of the Finger Lakes promotes quality child care in our community. The licensed registered providers of the Child Care are much more than babysitters. The council provides information to new and prospective child care providers about many aspects of program start up and maintenance. Quality care embraces the values of family support, cultural competence and sensitivity to the social, emotional, cognitive and physical needs of the child. We strive to ensure that parents and caregivers have the knowledge and support they need and that every child is nurtured by informed, skilled and caring adults.

Want to become involved? Have questions? Interested in learning more about the fulfilling career of child care? Contact the Child Care Council of the Finger Lakes at 255-6994.

Elizabeth Akers Farrell is the child care resource and referral specialist for the Child Care Council of the Finger Lakes office in Auburn